Thursday, July 24, 2014

Devided loyalties - A Muslim immigrant's reality

Since the Israeli assault on Gaza began in early
June, more than 600 people have been killed and thousands more have been
wounded. Most of the victims were civilians, with children making up to
about a third of the numbers.

As someone with ties to multiple “homes” – Canada, Malaysia, the Muslim ummah
(community) – moments like these bring about conflicting feelings and a
divided sense of loyalty. Between asserting my personal values as a
Muslim in Canada, claiming rightful membership as a Malaysian from afar,
and carving out my own space within the Canadian cultural fabric, there
is rarely a happy middle.

Sense of gratitude

As a newcomer to Canada, I am aware of the many
benefits extended to immigrant families in an effort to help them settle
down, get jobs and pursue their education. My family and I have been
the beneficiary of all three, and we continue to be grateful for them.

Nevertheless, being a loyal citizen can be
especially difficult given Canada’s direct or indirect complicity in
conflicts where Muslims are directly affected, such as in Burma
(Myanmar), China, Palestine, Iraq and Syria. Furthermore, on home turf,
there is still much room for improvement in terms of the country’s
relationship with minority, immigrant and Aboriginal communities.

How, then, can one be a grateful while acknowledging these faults?

Radicalized citizens

Perhaps, these are some of the troubling questions
faced by the young Canadian Muslims who were allegedly “radicalized”
into joining the war Syria and Iraq.

Ashrafi was subsequently glorified as a martyr
and an example to other young Muslim Canadians by a fellow Canadian
jihadist who goes by the alias Abu Dujana al-Muhajir. Al-Muhajir also
calls on Canadians to warn their government against getting involved in
“a war of attrition with the Muslims for decades to come.”

A similar wave of religious fervour is also sweeping across Britain. In a short documentary on VICE,
a young Briton named Amer Deghayes was shown expounding on his role in
the jihad in Syria; he had traveled there with two brothers to fight
with the Free Syrian Army, FSA. One of his brothers had already been
killed during a battle, but Degahyes was calm and clear-headed in
explaining how it was his duty to fight with his Muslim brothers against
those who oppressed them.

Warning from imams

The Canadian Council of Imams (CCI) [an imam is a Muslim religious leader] recently issued a stern warning
against young Muslims travelling overseas to fight as Ashrafi and
Clairmont had. The CCI stated unequivocally that, “No one should get
involved in international wars on the belief and excuse that they are
helping their Muslim brothers.” Muslims living in war zones and
experiencing oppression, the Imams Council explains, have the right to
bear arms in self defense; Muslims living in Canada do not have the same
right.

What Canadian Muslims do have, however, is the right to use all the resources we have at our disposal.

Aid organizations like Islamic Relief
have worldwide networks with experience in getting aid to the heart of
conflict zones, such as in Gaza, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. We can
volunteer our time and energy in their relief efforts by packing and
delivering aid, or supporting them with monthly donations.

Peaceful protest

We can also contact our respective MPs and call on
them to pressure the Canadian government into taking action, either by
withdrawing support from oppressive regimes, through diplomatic
intervention or through humanitarian aid support. There are numerous
peaceful protests and online petitions for us to sign and circulate to
draw attention to the causes we care about.

Our uninterrupted access to the internet and social media are something we can take full advantage of. The hashtag campaign #letaymanreport
is a good example of what the global online community can achieve. NBC
correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin was a veteran in fair and balanced
reporting on issues in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.
When the network pulled him out of Gaza, the online community responded
in sharp criticism of NBC and launched a petition and a twitter campaign
demanding that he be sent back to report from Gaza. Several days later,
NBC announced that it was sending Mohyeldin back into Gaza to continue
his work.

This goes to show that, even from a distance, there
are multiple avenues through which Canadian Muslims can aid those in
need without resorting to arms.

Like any other country, Canada is far from perfect.
But as a newcomer to Canada, I know I’ve benefited tremendously from
Canada’s systems of governance, welfare, social security and
education. Nevertheless, a show of gratitude for these benefits doesn’t
mean silent and unquestioned acceptance of Canada’s policies, be they
good or otherwise.

Rather, I believe it’s my personal responsibility,
in return, to be part of the system of checks and balances that helps
improve the country from within its borders. This entails speaking up
when injustices occur, be it at home or abroad, and encouraging other
Canadians to do the same.

No comments:

Search This Blog

About Me

Malaysian-born and Toronto-based budding journalist, social justice advocate and avid Tweeter. I think I'm a pretty good writer, although I've had my moments of doubt. I invite you to read my sporadic bursts of rumination and judge for yourself.
Find me on Twitter @linabdulrahman